Clearing Land

[veg4681]

I have access to land just on the edge of farm field that I may be able to grow fruits, vegetables or even have a perennial flower bed. Although grass gets cut regularly, towards the edge is all jungly...full of tall weeds (thistles, nettles, grass etc), so which weedkiller can I use safely without contaminating the land for growing stuffs.

[Polly Fouracre]

I would be interested to know as well as I have great plans for a bit of my four acres.I would only be able to grow crops that were not attractive to rabbits,I've thought,spuds,onions,leeks,rhubarb.Any other thoughts would be welcomed.

[Snadger]

Glyphosate is a systemic weedkiller that becomes inert on contact with the soil! Sometimes sold under the tradenames Roundup or Glypher!

[vegnut]

I would agree with that. Glyphosate is the only one that i know of that is safe. You could always try cardboard, black plastic or terram to smother the weeds, that is if you aren't gonna use it this year.
Regards
Dave

[veg4681]

Thanks Snadger and Vegnut for the useful info. I could have checked from the internet blah, blah but it's so handy to ask our expert members who already know things that work from own experience.

[scared55]

When we bought this house we inherited almost an acre of land just like your field edge, Veg4681. We started mowing it at the end of winter before the new growth and, in quite short order, the grasses overpowered the rest of the stuff, which was never allowed to get high enough to grow a decent leaf spread. Much of it is now a sparse orchard. For the two areas we plan to cultivate (just over 250 sq metres in all) we have stripped off the top 2-3 inches to get rid of the turf, triple rotavated, fertilised and started planting. My first spinach shoots have appeared under the cloche, the transplanted swede are looking good and I am waiting for the first shoots to come from the autumn broad beans. That is in the first of ten new 6m x 2m beds which are in addition the 140 sq m Scarey55 planted out last year. A second bed has been prepared and will be planted out when we decide what to put in it for the winter. It is notionally our sweetcorn bed for next year. The only weed treatment we are using so far is the hoe.

KK

[Snadger]

When we bought this house we inherited almost an acre of land just like your field edge, Veg4681. We started mowing it at the end of winter before the new growth and, in quite short order, the grasses overpowered the rest of the stuff, which was never allowed to get high enough to grow a decent leaf spread. Much of it is now a sparse orchard. For the two areas we plan to cultivate (just over 250 sq metres in all) we have stripped off the top 2-3 inches to get rid of the turf, triple rotavated, fertilised and started planting. My first spinach shoots have appeared under the cloche, the transplanted swede are looking good and I am waiting for the first shoots to come from the autumn broad beans. That is in the first of ten new 6m x 2m beds which are in addition the 140 sq m Scarey55 planted out last year. A second bed has been prepared and will be planted out when we decide what to put in it for the winter. It is notionally our sweetcorn bed for next year. The only weed treatment we are using so far is the hoe.

KK

Well done you! I must admit, your method would be my preferred method! It's always better to weigh up the alternatives before reaching for the weedkiller!

[veg4681]

Hi Scared55,
I have access to few industrial standard of equipments (including agricultural plougher and the sorts) and two sit on grass cutter Beaver/Hayter and Ramone. But these are too big for a small garden project and besides I'm not allowed to run these 'precious babies' on treacherous tall grass/weeds jungleland. I could roughly cut down jungle by hand first with a sickle and then see if it's okay to run the Beaver over to flatten right down.

Just next to the jungleland, the lawn is absolutely purrrfect. I know someone who has that Rotavax thing but out here, there is no electricity (yet too inconvenient with a very very long extension cable). Sorry isn't Rovatax petrol driven? No worries, I'm sure I'll come up with something and even if I decide not to go for a garden after all, the jungleland would have been cleared and pleasing to the eye for it's a place we go every weekend for other recreational activities.

[Phreddy]

Hate the idea of herbicides, I used cardboard and compost around my toms this year - worked a treat. I will send you the article


Phreddy

[scared55]

Hmmmm. Not familiar with Rotavax - the only references I can find in Google are to a vaccination against rotavirus. However, if it is a strimmer, I say go for it.

We cleared a large-ish patch with a strimmer shortly after arrival, and found it, unsurprisingly, much easier on the back than either a sickle or the old two-handed farm scythe we found in one of the outbuildings.

[bubblewrap]

I would strim the "weeds" to ground level & then DIG weed killers will not kill all the roots and things such as cooch grass.
The grass will grow back.
Digging out the roots is hard work but worth it in the long run.

Ps my allotment is 300 sq yards (30 sq yards left wild) I dug over the lot over 3 months
I now have few probs with weeds
My allotment was also a jungle when I took it over in Sept 2005

[bubblewrap]

You have to be careful when using some weed killers one gust of wind & you could kill something you want to keep!

[scared55]

my allotment is 300 sq yards (30 sq yards left wild)

250 square metres - that is quite a lot-ment!

KK

[bubblewrap]

250 square metres - that is quite a lot-ment!

KK

Yes I guess so but good value £36 rent per year All plots on our site are the same size
It took a lot of work to get it weed free!
The allotment had not been used for two years before We Madderbat & me took it over.
We have not bought any veg since early June

[scared55]

Bubblewrap, do you have a layout plan of yours?

We have split our garden into semi-discrete areas of which one is my potager - about 300 square metres, and I am trying to come to an ideal layout.

Currently I am looking at 10 beds each of 6m x 2m with 1m walkways between. Oh yes - it is on a 1:6 slope and partially shaded by an old oak tree (around which I have been forbidden from tying a yellow ribbon).

Scarey55 has a similar area which is closer to the house, marginally more level and enjoys full, uninterrupted sunshine (when the sun is there to provide it, of course).

Thanks

KK